The Bitgrum Eyeing The World's Most Essential News Topics
In 2018, a consumer survey by ING estimated that the number of people owning crypto would increase twofold. That prediction is mostly accurate by 2025. The Gemini State of Crypto 2025 Report indicates that almost a quarter of the population, 24%, now owns cryptocurrency, compared to 21% a year ago.
The United Kingdom has the highest growth. The ownership increased by 18% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, the biggest year-on-year change in the surveyed countries. Singapore is the first with a 28% ownership rate. Adoption in the United States has leveled at 22%, nearly three times higher than the 8% in 2018.
Regulatory Clarity and the “Trump Effect” Fuel Confidence
One of the factors that has led to this new growth era is a change in the regulatory environment, particularly in the U.S., following the election of President Donald J. Trump.
The report indicates that the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the pro-innovation position of the SEC have increased confidence in the world.
Almost one-fifth of U.S. non-owners indicated that these government-led efforts made them more confident in the asset class.
The same increase was cross-border: approximately 21% of UK non-owners and 19% of Singapore non-owners said they had increased trust because of the evolving U.S. policy environment.
Institutional Onramps: From Specialist Sites to Spot ETFs
In 2018, investors primarily resorted to specialist websites and financial advisors since the technology appeared complex. The mainstreaming of institutional products has reduced that barrier by 2025.
In the U.S., 39% of crypto owners now invest in Spot Crypto ETFs to expose themselves to digital assets, which is a big change from conventional financial vehicles.
Another trend mentioned in the report is a Memecoin Onramp. Although 94% of memecoin owners also own other digital assets, 31% of U.S. investors reported that memecoins were their first-ever crypto purchase, indicating that viral assets can substitute technical whitepapers as the onboarding point of new users.
Demographics and Awareness: The Mainstream Era
Awareness, which ranged between 57% and 66% in 2018, is almost universal in developed markets. According to the 2025 report, half of the Millennials and Gen Z respondents across the globe have owned crypto at some stage.
The gender gap is still an area of concern. Men continue to be more likely to own crypto, but the average investor profile has expanded considerably since the early days of the technology.
Crypto is being considered more of a practical instrument than a pure speculation, with 39% of U.S. owners mentioning it as a vital inflation hedge.
A Shift from Search Interest to Market Maturity
The 2025 landscape is characterized by a transition of search interest to market maturity. The overall crypto market cap surpassed the $4 trillion threshold in 2025, despite market volatility.
Approximately 10% of the entire supply of Bitcoin and Ethereum is now controlled by institutional entities.
The Future Is On-Chain: From Speculation to Staple
The 2018-2025 path indicates the rise of cryptocurrency as an asset category. What started as a hobby among tech-savvy individuals has evolved into a portfolio investment.
Almost a quarter of the population is now engaged in the digital-asset economy. The largest financial institutions in the world are offering the infrastructure to invest in crypto. The question is no longer whether it will become mainstream, but how much it will change investors’ asset allocations.
With regulatory barriers removed and institutional adoption becoming a reality, the nascent technology of 2018 grew into a widely held asset class in 2025.
